Animal-World’s Featured Pet of the Week: the Cornish Rex Cat

Cats are one of the most popular pets, with there being many different types to choose from! The Cornish Rex Cat is one of the relatively new breeds of cat developed and is quite unique looking. It is a great family cat simply because of its friendly disposition and many people appreciate their low-maintenance, short, and soft coat of hair. The reason their hair is so soft is because it has only a downy undercoat with hardly any top-coat coarse hairs. This translates to little grooming and hardly any shedding, which also helps to prevent allergies in people around this cat who normally have cat allergies.

The Cornish Rex Cat is a very social cat and loves its human companions, as well as other animals! It can come in a variety of different personalities – from a lounging, loving lap cat to a very playful and active athletic cat. They are good indoor cats, and because of their short coat, they actually prefer it most of the time – being unable to deal with extreme hot and cold temperatures. They do like to “talk” a lot and can become quite loud – however most owners say they are not quite as loud/high-pitched as Siamese cats are!

The Cornish Rex Cat has a very interesting history. They are a fairly new breed, having only been first discovered on July 21st in 1950 from an observed genetic mutation. This happened in Cornwall, England on a farm. Because it was a genetic mutation that caused its distinct look, it is considered a Mutation Cat Breed. The Cornish Rex Cat looks a lot like the Devon Rex Cat, however these cats have two different genes that control their curly looking hair. It does share the same gene with the German Rex Cat though, which it also looks similar to. It was recognized as a true breed in 1964 in America and in 1967 in Britain. Since then, it has been bred with several other breeds – including Siamese, Burmese, Russian Blues, and British Shorthairs to increase its stamina. Right now you can find breeders of the Cornish Rex Cat in the United States, England, and Australia. Prices can range anywhere from $200 to $1200 when bought from a reputable breeder and depending on the area.

The care of the Cornish Rex Cat is similar to most other cats – a protein based diet works well and can be supplied with a good commercially prepared cat food. Making sure your cat has access to fresh water every day and a clean litter box if kept indoors are also requirements. Providing toys to indoor cats will help keep them entertained. As I stated before – they only require minimal grooming. Actually, you don’t want to groom them too much because it can actually cause baldness! These cats are overall very healthy cats and have no particular health problems. Also as mentioned above, because they only have the downy undercoat and not an overcoat, they are sensitive to extreme temperatures – but this should not be a problem if kept indoors or if they are only let outside in mild climates.

If you are thinking about obtaining a Cornish Rex Cat for showing purposes or simply to have a unique breed of cat, feel free to read more information on them and their care at Animal-World’s Cornish Rex Cat page!

Jasmine is a team member at Animal-World and has contributed many articles and write-ups.